None of us wants to be sidelined, stuck, shamed, or silenced. But the difficulties of life have a way of putting us in a corner, and we don't know how to move forward. We see brokenness in our communities, our relationships, and our spirits. It's so easy to blame ourselves or our circumstances, to get bogged down in discouragement and toxic thinking. But that's not what we were meant for, and that's not how God wants us to live. Leeana Tankersley has good news if you're struggling: each new day is an opportunity to begin again. In her warm tone and with her signature humor she offers 100 short readings to encourage and motivate you to begin again in your relationships with God, your family, your friends, and yourself. Because there is always a hand reaching toward you, there is always grace available, and there is always a chance to begin again.
★★★1/2
Always We Begin Again --- the title pulled from a line in The Rule of Saint Benedict --- is a kind of devotional work that features 100 short readings of encouragement for those struggling to reboot their lives after a period of pain, grieving, stagnancy, etc. If you are such a reader and have, of late, been feeling overwhelmed, ashamed, bogged down, or otherwise "stuck" in life, author Leeana Tankersley is here to remind you that each new day is a perfect opportunity to start again on a fresh page (in this case, both literally and figuratively). Right from the first page of her introduction, Tankersley takes a moment to bond with the reader, sharing that she knows something of starting over, having recently been forced into the process following a divorce she did not want or choose.
Tankersley describes this book as: "...some of the reminders I return to over and over again, the truths that have sustained me. Here they are, a collection of daily readings that I hope will companion you as you step into each new moment of your particular path." Each new section opens with a quote, either a relevant bible passage, memorable words from historical figures, or an inspiring line from motivational speakers over the years. As far as Tankersley's own offerings of encouragement, some of the ideas she touches upon:
* Giving yourself permission to be a perpetual novice at life, and to embrace periods of "starting over" as holy spaces for your spirit to rest and regroup.
* Remembering that beginning again does not necessarily equate to failure. Seeking a support group through a difficult time does not equate weakness. It means you are human, and humans tend to thrive most in community environments.
The beautiful poet David Whyte talks about each of us having our own doorway of vulnerability and that part of our life's work is to walk through it. The root of the word vulnerable is the Latin vulneras, which means "wound". So when we are vulnerable, we are showing our wounds to the world (not just our slick exteriors), and this is how we connect, heal, and ultimately experience love.
The temptation is to be impressive. The invitation is to be honest.
* Let your life be messy sometimes! Learn to find ways to laugh through the tough times, embrace your inner kid, and develop empathy FOR YOURSELF!
* "Invitation in the Agitation" --- sometimes difficulties (whether in the form of a person or situation) are placed in our path to teach us lessons about ourselves --- or skills we need to develop for later challenges --- that we would not otherwise learn... at least not as successfully... sometimes the agitation is secretly an invitation for spiritual / emotional / character growth.
I've been too scared to do this previously. Now I am ready. I try to remind myself that the words scared and sacred are practically identical. Could the very fact that I'm scared be an indication that I am on sacred ground?
* Riding out the "Messy Middle" seasons of life, "one of those protracted, unresolved, uncertain seasons...you are not at the beginning, but you are nowhere near closure either. And the middle stretches on indefinitely. It tries your stamina, your faith, your belief in yourself (and maybe all of humanity), and all you want is to hold your breath until it's all over...'Once this is resolved, then I can go on living,' I secretly say to myself. ...Someone has suggested to me that perhaps most of life is a Messy Middle. I don't want to hear or believe that, but it's likely true. Life rarely finds that elusive equilibrium we're all waiting for. We have to do the living in the midst of the mess...This is not insanity or hilarity or nuisance or idiocy. This is the task of humanity. To return. To reinvest. To breathe. To begin again. The focus is on the process, the participation, not the product. Ever."
* Soul Bullies --- Tankersley walks you through how to face bullies and naysayers, out in the world or within yourself: "You will have every good intention. You will be armed with resolve and hope and new knowledge, and all you have to do is wake up and the Soul Bullies will be on to you. They want to paralyze, shame, suffocate, embarrass and silence you. It's just what they do. But we cannot let them have the last word about us. We cannot. They want you to believe it's over, you're done for, things have come to a dead end... but sometimes walls are doors, and so even if you are facing what appears to be an ending, there might be some redemptive new life waiting beyond..."
Each section ends on a prompt question for thought, which also offers a lined space for readers to write in their response. Occasionally there are passages that are a little repetitive in the writing, sometimes reading like a student trying to meet word count requirements on a writing assignment. The section-end prompts themselves also feel a little more forced in later segments, almost like her inspiration for them was running a little more thin as she got closer to finishing the book.
While some of her personal stories I read with a grain of skepticism, much of what Tankersley brings to the table in the way of encouragement / emotional cheerleading to readers I found quite nice and useful. Most of it is not necessarily groundbreaking --- like many of its type, this book has a lot of repackaged ideas --- but that doesn't make them wrong. I like Tankersley's choice of warm-but-real wrapping!
FTC DISCLAIMER: Revell Publishing kindly provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions above are entirely my own.
Comments
Post a Comment